Saint Albert

Morons like the author of this blog are everywhere on the internet. If Barcelona supporters and ex-players started exhorting Coutinho to submit a transfer request, the scousers would be up in arms.

If (like me) you were wondering what happened to Florin Gardos, it looks like he is coming back for training after his honeymoon: https://mobile.twitter.com/floringardos5/status/882619044154793985

That's an excellent move. This is a player who needs playing time. I hope that he gets a full season's worth of games, and is able to excel for Norwich.

This is based on an interview with Adam Blackmore done by a different Liverpool blog site. The interview was interesting (but short). Blackmore's a little disappointed with VVD: The full interview is here. Blackmore's opinion is that VVD will stay unless he submits a transfer request.

It can't be a good sign when someone feels the need to describe himself as "reputable" in his Twitter bio.

Message to Saints from J-Rod on twitter. Apols if already posted: https://mobile.twitter.com/JayRodriguez9/status/881943241599463425

The UI has done an entire blog about it.

Does anyone know if VVD is scheduled to return for pre-season training this week? I notice that his passive-aggressive behaviour is continuing on Twitter. He's changed his background picture from a shot of his back in a Saints shirt, to another picture of him in the orange of the Dutch national team.

Good luck to J-Rod. Good riddance to his mouthy relatives.

Good luck to him.

Many of them are waiting for VVD to hand in a transfer request, and then it's game on as far as they're concerned. I regarded the Liverpool Echo article as an attempt to lower their expectations.

...also have Chelsea moved on from VVD? Multiple journos reporting that they're after Rudiger from Roma for £30 million, instead: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/06/30/chelsea-talks-sign-30m-antonio-rudiger-roma/

Liverpool could finally be seeing the writing on the wall re. VVD. The Liverpool Echo reckons there's only a "glimmer" of hope: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-only-glimmer-hope-pursuit-13260602

Christensen as well.

No news on the assistant coaches yet...I'm very interested to see what happens there.

A decent short-term fix for Bournemouth especially if they lose King, but Saints were never going to smash their wage structure for an aging ex-Pompey player.

"Sources close to the player" reporting that the £12 million sale to W.Brom is almost done. Probably his mouthy relatives: http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/3150342/west-brom-close-to-12m-deal-to-sign-southamptons-jay-rodriguez-sources

Interesting, thanks. I'd take the deal if RB is as unsettled as it seems. The problems as I see it are, City's reported insistence on a buy-back clause for Iheanacho and only yesterday Les stated on Sky that no top players would be leaving. RB is a top player, and he's English, which enhances his value to teams like City. Perhaps this could fall into Les Reed's "right thing for them and the club" category?

I would definitely discount it after reading this!

It looks like this rumour is coming from the Sun, quoting from an "Etihad source": https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/3908459/southampton-manchester-city-kelechi-iheanacho-pep-guardiola-ryan-bertrand/

I'm shocked that Basil Brush is still at thing.

Good point. They hold one hell of a grudge. RAWK posters are not allowed to refer to Bascome articles from the Telegraph on their transfer thread, because he once worked for the Sun. Anyway great news if true. I really enjoyed watching this player develop and flourish after VVD got injured. And the headline...LOL

Sounds like good news to me.

I thought that the PL has instituted a wage cap of sorts for the upcoming season. No team is allowed to increase it's wage bill more than x% over the year before. The league was concerned that all the new TV money would end up in the players' pockets. It's given Arsenal difficulties as they look to increase Ozil and Sanchez's salaries. It might have an impact similar to FFP, keeping the smaller clubs down by locking them into a comparatively low wage structure.